Nangong Qing closed the book. Gao Yi had been following her for three years; even if he hadn't done anything meritorious, he had certainly put in the effort.

"Never mind, let someone bring the portrait up."

"yes!"

Gao Yi straightened up and shouted to the eunuchs below, "Bring the portrait up."

In an instant, the entire imperial study was filled with portraits, each one with exquisite features and graceful figures.

"Are all the daughters of officials here?"

Gao Yi bowed and followed behind Nangong Qing, his smile never fading.

"Your Majesty, the world is now at peace and the harvests are plentiful. According to the rules of the imperial concubine selection, all eligible women who are officials of the ninth rank or above are here."

Nangong Qing casually strolled around the row of women. He had seen far too many women like this before he became the crown prince, so there was nothing new about them.

“Keep the women from those important officials and prominent families; let the Empress choose the rest.”

"By the way, the women chosen for the harem should be gentle and kind. I don't want to worry about harem matters every day."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The imperial study was filled with paintings of beautiful women hanging on the easels. Nangong Qing walked among them, glancing at them as if he had already seen them.

Only half an incense stick's time had passed when Nangong Qing glanced at one of the paintings and couldn't take his eyes off it.

My heart, which had been dormant for so long, beat twice again at that moment.

He walked slowly to the portrait hanging behind him. The person in the painting was dressed simply, with a simple hairstyle and only a single hairpin.

With her charming smile and beautiful eyes, she resembled Su Luo in both appearance and demeanor.

That was the smile Su Luo would only show when they received their share of the profits.

But the person in the portrait had a beauty mark at the corner of their eye, which told him that this person was not the one he was thinking of.

"Gao Yi, who is this gentleman?"

Gao Yi looked up at the person in the portrait and smiled at Nangong Qing.

"This is Qu Muyu, the eldest daughter of Prefect Qu of Liangzhou. She is twenty years old. Liangzhou is a poor and remote place, and Prefect Qu is determined to send his daughter to the palace!"

His Majesty should have announced the selection of a concubine three years ago, but due to various reasons, this Miss Qu's selection was repeatedly postponed until she turned twenty.

In this era, twenty years old is considered an old maid, and the prefect of Liangzhou is gambling with his daughter's fate.

If the gamble pays off and the daughter becomes a noblewoman, she will enjoy endless wealth and honor, bringing glory to the family.

"Qu Muyu, a fine name. By imperial decree, Qu Muyu is hereby granted the title of Consort Qu. She need not select any more embroidery pieces; she may proceed directly to the palace."

this……

Such a favor will likely make this Lady Qu quite extraordinary in the palace from now on.

"I will send someone to fetch Consort Qu to the palace immediately."

After Gao Yi finished speaking, he looked up at the portrait.

Qu Muyu has big eyes and is quite pretty, but she is not the most outstanding beauty among these portraits.

Why did His Majesty take a liking to her at first sight? She had no family background and no connections.

However, Gao Yi stared at it for a long time, feeling as if he had seen this song of evening rain somewhere before.

Where have I seen this before?

He was old and thought for a long time. Suddenly, a few images flashed through his mind, and these images startled him.

His pupils widened in disbelief. Wasn't this the Deputy Minister of Agriculture?

Back then, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture was standing at the back in the imperial court, so he couldn't see him very clearly from a distance.

When the late emperor summoned the Vice Minister of Agriculture and others to discuss state affairs, he would ask them to leave.

But even after all these years, he could still vaguely remember the face of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

He looked at Nangong Qing in disbelief. So that's how it is. So His Majesty likes the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

No wonder, no wonder...

"Your Majesty, are there any others you like?"

Gao Yi understood what Nangong Qing was thinking: whenever he encountered someone whose eyes and eyebrows resembled Su Luo's.

He would recommend it to Nangong Qing, who would nod in satisfaction.

"Keep these that I've taken a liking to, and do with the rest as they see fit."

"yes!"

Nangong Qing did not appear at all during the entire selection process; the Empress had the final say on how the harem was allocated.

Although he and the Empress had no feelings for each other, he had to admit that the Empress was an excellent Empress.

Over the years, they have treated each other with respect and never had a quarrel. They also had two more princes, and their lives were considered fulfilling.

"Your Majesty, today is the first day of the month. Are you going to the Empress's palace?"

Although Nangong Qing really wanted to see Qu Muyu, she decided to postpone it for today.

"Go see the Empress. By the way, the Empress has been working hard these days. Have someone pick out some items to send to the Empress."

"I'll have someone prepare it right away."

When Nangong Qing was busy, he rarely stepped into the inner palace. In the past, there was only the Empress in the inner palace.

He's a little unaccustomed to the sudden influx of women.

When Nangong Qing arrived at the central palace, the palace maids and eunuchs inside and outside the palace greeted him and paid their respects.

"May Your Majesty be well..."

His gaze fell on the Empress, and he strode over to help her up.

"Your Majesty, you may dispense with the formalities!"

"Your Majesty, I have had some delicious food prepared. Please try it!"

"good!"

Nangong Qing remained indifferent towards the Empress.

But the Empress thought differently. Etiquette, manners, and the upbringing of a well-bred lady taught her otherwise.

As an empress, one must not be jealous. His Majesty belongs to everyone, and she will not always be the only one by his side.

But this day finally came. Besides being the empress, she was also a woman, so how could she not feel disappointed?

Do not speak while eating or sleeping.

During dinner, the two remained silent and proper until after the meal, when the Queen finally spoke.

"Your Majesty, which palace do you think would be suitable for Consort Qu?"

When Nangong Qing saw the Empress ask that question, she felt a sense of disappointment in her eyes, but she still managed to hold it in.

"Let's go to Yu'an Palace. It's close to my Mingde Hall!"

The Empress frowned slightly, then forced a smile onto her face.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make the arrangements."

Qu Muyu entered the palace because she gained Nangong Qing's favor. Perhaps in the Empress's eyes, she had fallen in love with Qu Muyu at first sight.

"Empress, you are my first wife, and in my heart, no one can shake your position."

These words were Nangong Qing's way of reassuring the Empress: no matter what happens in the harem, the Empress will always be the Empress.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you."

It seems that Nangong Qing really likes Qu Muyu, and the Empress feels that bestowing upon her the title of Beauty is probably not enough.

"Your Majesty, Consort Qu's rank can be promoted after she has served for a longer period of time, or after she gives birth to a prince or princess."

Some rules cannot be broken. How about this?

The Empress feared that if Nangong Qing loved her to the extreme, he would stop caring about anything else.

"Yes! Her rank will be promoted, but the princes and princesses will not be promoted, as they will not have my children."

The Empress looked shocked, while Nangong Qing simply patted her hand and smiled at her.

"Empress, there are some things I will only say to you, and you don't need to delve into the reasons."

Everything Qu Muyu got was simply because she looked like Su Luo.

Nangong Qing could give her endless riches and honors, but he would not let a substitute bear his child.

He would not insult Su Luo, and he did not want a child who resembled both Su Luo and him.